Log cabin structure



Feb. 18, 1947. c. DRAKE 2,416,162

' LOG CABIN STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 21, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Patented Feb; 18,194? t t LOGIGIAB'IN STRUGTURE William 0. Drakei ltenp, Nev; assignoito Pioneer Log Gabir'rGonipany; Reno; Nev.

'ApplicationeDecembera2l, 1943," Serial'No:515,125?

' 1c1ai'mi (01. 20 4) This "invention relatestonewi and useful i'im'? provementsdn log cabin "structures, and anpbj'ctf of .thelinventionis to prcyide' as'tru'ctur' of th 3' kind .in.' which Tthe walls? are lcomposedi of Tl'ogsf: arranged one upon-.the Qtheri'n horizontaliposi t' 5 non, said horizontal l'ogs .lbeing suitably inte'r locked at the'.corners..of thefbuildirig'so thattheif'j are'retai'ned inoperative positionswitliout the. use of separateisecuring'. means.

A furthenob-ject. is to provide a logfcabin struc ture. in L which .thel horizontal logs constituting I the walls of the). structured-are substantially alike in configuration and areiinterlocked .in'a novel manner: at the corners. of the building, .eflicierit.

sealing meansbeing provided. between'adjacentnld logs to sealetheljointstherebetweenn, I

A further object is to provide a log cabin structure composed. of horizontal log members ar' ranged one above another in intersecting relation at the corners of the structure, each 10g member being provided'with'a transverseslot'or groove adjacent one end adapted to receive a longi-"'" tudinally extendingsribljof vanother-Jog,arranged in intersecting relation thereto at a corner of the structure, the slot and rib being so formed that theljoint between the logsat the cornerof the buildingtwill be substantially sealed. '1

Still another-object of thefinvention is to pro-- vide a log cabin structure in which the walls'are composed of horizontal logs arranged one above e the other and: interlocked at thecorners of the? building so that the logs are retained in operative positions without th usemf "separate securing means and so that the :logsxbf each wallara slightly spaced apartexceptiat the .cornersiof the building, suitable means being provided between adjacent logs of each wall to close the spaces between the logs and to provide sealed joints therebetween.

More specific objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the invention consists in the novel form, combiv4,5 nation and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1' is a. fragmentary elevational view showing a portion of a log cabin structure constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

, 2 Figure 3 a vertical ectiontaken bn'Vthe planeof .1i'ne.3.-3 of Figure'iI. 1 I I Fig'ure i is a section taken on line"4'- 4 of Figurev 2. 4 I Figure i5 is a sectiontaken on line 5- 5 of Figure 2. I

Figure 6 is anelevational view showing annd portionof one of the horizontal logs;

Figure 7 is a topplan view thereof; and Figures 8( and 9 are views somewhat similar to" Fig uren3 showing modified forms'of the means for -.closing and sealing the-Joints between adia; cent horizontal logs.= I

Referring in detail to Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, of the drawings, the present log cabinistructlire includes. a wallembodyihg horizontal logs 5 disposed one .above the otheiyand another wa'l-l extendingat rightianglesi to thefirst named wall and embodying-.ifui'there logs 5a;' disposed one above-another,thllogs and Ea heingaIte'i I nated andsinterlockedwhere they- -cross=-at a corner: of theistructure so-that the-logsot each wall aredisposed-1v inJsIightlyJspaeed relation, as indicated at B, and whereby the lOgSa-re retained ein loperativ'e" positions without the use of s'epae':

ratel'securing means; I

clearly; shown in 'the several t views, eachof the logs .5- and fi is provided "with a transverse V-shaped notch .1. adj acent an endft'hereofj disl posed direlctlylopp'osi-te a longitudinallyextending? H tongue fi fo-rmed-b'y cutting away portions" -of the: materialiof the log alt-opposite sidesthereof to providelrecesses 9 which converge-= inlthe-samebdirection as the sidesl of the: notch 1; The

tongue-8 is of a sizeto snuglf fit intand project slightly below the'notch '1 5f theneiit adjacent log, so that the horizontal logs of each wall are disposed in the slightly spaced relation as mentioned above and indicated at 6.

In order to close the spaces between the adjacent logs of each wall, and to seal the joints therebetween, said logs are provided on the top and bottom sides thereof with longitudinal grooves l0, and a key strip 1 l is disposed between each pair of adjacent logs with its longitudinal edge portions received respectively in the bottom groove H] of one log and in the top groove ID of the next adjacent log therebelow. The key strips snugly fit in the grooves, and it will thus be seen that they effectively close the spaces between the logs and provide sealed joints therebetween, Each log 5 and 5a is provided in one side thereof, at a point intermediate the ends of the tongue 8 and at the apex of the adjacent V-shapednotch I with a vertical groove I2, while the longitudinal groove I (I at the same side as the tongue 8 is extended a short distance into the latter, as at 13. The key strip II is made of sufiicient length to extend into the groove extension l3 of one log and into the aligned side groove l2' of the log disposed thereon and intersecting the same, Thus, the logs of one wall are eifectively inter-I locked against lateral or longitudinal relative'dis-,

placement and efficient sealed joints are had at Y the corner where the logs intersect.

Of course, if the logs 5a intersect the logs of another wall at their other ends, said ends will be constructed the same as the ends shown.

However, in places where vertical logs occur, such.

as at the sides of Windows or'doors, the other ends of the logs will be of special construction to join with the adjacent vertical log. This has been illustrated with respect to the other ends of the logs 5, and it wil1 be noted that said other ends of logs 5, which cooperate with a vertical log M, are made of substantiallysemi-circular form by providing the same with substantially semicircular vertical grooves, as at 15. '7 Accordingly;

these ends of logs 5 partially embrace the log l4, and substantially centrally of the semicircular grooves I5, the logs 5 are provided with projecting vertical tongues 16 arranged to be received in the longitudinal groove I! provided in the adjacent side of the vertical log I 4. The key strips I] will of course properly space the logs 5 at the post or upright log l4 and will enter the adjacent groove ll of the latter. Thus, the adjacent ends of thekey strips H and the tongues I6 will afford a sealed joint between the horij zontal logs andthe vertical 10g 14.

In Figure 8 there is shown a modified form of key strip for use between adjacent horizontal logs, 1 consisting of two longitudinal half-sections of similar form and oppositely tapering cross sec- 1 tion. Thus, when one log is laid above another, the sections Ila and [lb will be relatively displaced to increase in thickness with a wedging 1 action, thereby tightly wedging in the opposed 1 grooves ID of the logs. The tightening ofthe l joint is effected by the mere weight of the logs being superimposed upon each other, and this 1 same general action can be had by the use of a one-piece key. strip Ilc of the form shown in Figure 9. The key strip of the latter figure j merely tapers thicker fromthe longitudinal edges thereof inwardly to the longitudinal center-of 3 the same for reception within somewhat similar shaped longitudinal grooves we of the logs 5'.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the logs are so interlocked and fitted I employed horizontally together at the corners of the structure that the entire wall structure may be erected substantially without the use of nails or other securing means.

All of the logs are substantially alike in form except that certain ends of certain logs are specially constructed for cooperation with a vertical log when necessary, Thus, all of the logs of any particular kind are substantially alike in form, so that the-logs for a given'wall are interchangeable and may be readily and quicklyassembled in a relativelyshort length of time. What I claimas new is: In log cabin construction, a log adapted to be in plurality fabrication of perpendicularly intersecting walls,

said log being formed adjacent one end with a flat sided dihedral tongue having its apex extending longitudinally of the log, and being 'formed in the same zone but on the opposite side with a flat sided dihedral notch of corresponding angularity, having its apex extending transversely of the log, the apices lying in parallel planes, the depth of the notch being less than half the thickness of. the log, said log in the axial plane that embraces the apex of the tongue bein provided above and below with longitudinal key- Ways, the upper keyway extending into said tongue and the lower keyway opening into said v notch, said log on one side being formed with a recess so positioned as to be longitudinally traversed by the line of the apex of said notch, said recess constituting an end extension of ad- I jacent longitudinal keyways of upper and lower parallel logs between which said log is interfitted, and adapted to receive the extended end of a key seated in said adjacent keyways.

' WILLIAM C. DRAKE.

REFERENCES' CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS in the Norwegian 1925 

